Jack the Ripper
by HeKillsWithHisSmile
Summary: **Mark/Robbie (TT)** (AU) Upon moving to London, Robert soon finds himself intrigued by the Jack the Ripper case and meets 3 others who are trying to hunt him down. He then meets another man called Mark, who doesn't like to talk about himself much and soon develops feelings for him, but is there something about Mark that means Robert should stay far away?
1. Chapter 1

**_Before we get to the main story, I just want to thank a friend of mine for giving me this idea and, hopefully, sometime in the future she might write one similar for Glee. XD Anyway, thank you so much! I just hope my writing does this idea justice!_**

**_On with the story!_**

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_Jack the Ripper_

There had never been anything really interesting for him back in Stock-On-Trent. To him, it was one of the most boring places he could think of in the whole of England. Of course, at the age of 18, he hadn't been very far out of his home town and had helped his father run their family business from the age of 15. Father was a very noble man; well respected and looked up to by the rest of the villagers. He had fought in many battles over the years and everything was very proud of him. None more so than his wife. Like his father, his mother was a well respected lady. She was a typical housewife of the time, but had a fire in her that made her a very strong woman indeed. He loved his family, but he needed to get out; needed to escape the walls of Stoke and find somewhere that he truly belonged.

That's why Robert Williams had packed up one day and told his family that he was off to London.

Of course, it hadn't been a spur of the moment thing. Although, maybe it had seemed that way. Robert had been thinking about doing this for months now. He had even started to save things that he might need on his voyage down south. He was fed up of the village he lived in; he wanted nothing more than to find himself waking up in the big city every day and seeing a mad rush of people everywhere he looked. That's what he had been longing for his whole life. What he would do when he got there, he didn't know. He had never planned that far and, truth be told, he didn't want to plan that far either. Robert's whole idea of life was that it was full of surprises and the best things came to those who let life take its course for them. His mother had always told him that it was 'the best things come to those who wait' and he believed that too, but he had his own motto that he lived by and that was 'take every day as it comes'. He had been doing that for, pretty much, his whole life and, so, that was what he was going to do now as he made his first big step into the big wide world.

Before he had gone, his mother had warned him of the dangers of London and had begged him to go. She had even thrown in all the 'Jack the Ripper' stuff, which Robert didn't really understand. Up in Stoke, no-one really knew anything that was going on in London unless they wanted to. Of course, there were the newspapers and that, but Robert couldn't actually remember the last time he had picked one of those things up and read it cover to cover. He just couldn't be bothered to read a load of crap that nearly all the time didn't apply to him.

...

The train to London was painfully slow and Robert found himself waking up staring at a load of countryside about half way through the journey, thinking to himself that he wished he had never thought of this idea. He wasn't frightened or anything to go into this, but he was bored stiff on this train now and he wanted nothing more than to feel the fresh air on his face again. The fresh air that wasn't coming in through the crack in the window on the side of the train.

Eventually, they came into the station in London. Robert smiled as he saw the mass of people running around trying to find their loved ones; saying goodbye to their loved ones, or just generally trying not to be late for their train.

As he stepped off the train, the smell of the city immediately hit his nostrils and his smile widened. Already he loved the city and he hadn't come out of the train station yet.

Making sure he had all the bags he had brought with him. Robert made his way out of the station and into the city where he would start his new life. Today was a new beginning for him. A new start that he had so desperately wanted for so many years. For the first time in his 18 years of life, Robert finally felt free.

...

He walked down the narrow street, watching as horse and carts were driving past him at every moment. He could hear the sound of children playing behind and in front of him. What amazed him the most was that no-one here seemed to look at him twice. Had he been the new guy in Stoke, everyone would have eyed him suspiciously and wondered what he was doing up here, but here in London, it was apparent that hardly anyone seemed to know each other, which was good, it meant that Robert could live a life not having to worry about what everyone thought of him because there was a good chance that half the people he had passed today he might never see again.

Robert walked a little further down the street before coming across a hotel. He stopped in front of it and looked up. It was an impressive building and Robert wondered for a second whether or not he had enough money to stay here for the night. However, he soon remembered the amount of money his father had handed him as he walked out the door of his old home. He has said that it was enough to get by for at least a month. At least that gave him four weeks to find a job and a place to hook up; shouldn't be too hard, Robert thought.

He walked through the doors and up to the reception desk. Once he was in his room, the first thing he noticed was a newspaper on the side. He left his bags to one side and picked up the newspaper. He unfolded it in his hands and read the headline written in bold black letters all over the front of the paper. It read: **JACK THE RIPPER STRIKES AGAIN?** Robert read the first line and immediately felt sick. Apparently, a body of a young man had been found not far from an old disused barn in the early hours of the morning; his body had been ripped apart, almost as if an animal had attacked him, but there had been no animal sightings in the city and so the only other way people could explain it was by blaming Jack the Ripper. Just the image of the body in his mind was enough to make him feel sick; God knows what it must have been like for the people who found him. Robert just didn't understand why someone would do such a thing. For a brief second, Robert felt a strong surge of anger towards the person who was responsible. He hoped that, whoever this person was, rotted in hell and that he was never forgiven by anyone for what he had done. It was just awful and all Robert could do was hope that he wasn't next one to lose his life.

He then put down the newspaper and looked over at the bed in the middle of the room. It was then that he realised how tired he was; the train journey had taken a lot out of him apparently and all he wanted to do now was sleep. He could always go down to the nearest bar, have a drink and introduce himself to a few people, but he could do that tomorrow, couldn't he? Right now, that bed in front of him had his name written all over it. Tomorrow he'd get all the meetings and greetings out of the way along with trying to find himself a decent paying job because the last thing he wanted was to have to live in on the streets once he run out of money. And with Jack the Ripper still on the loose, the thought of living outside on his own, made him fear for his life – even if he was a little scared to admit it.

Robert went over to his bags and got out his night clothes before changing and slipping into the well-made bed. He sighed as he lay down, resting his head on the soft pillow and smiled to himself.

"Hello London," Robert whispered. "Hello new life." He smiled again before closing his eyes and falling into his first sleep of his new life. Little did he know just what adventure and danger lay ahead of him in the near future.

**TBC...**

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_**I know that probably wasn't one of the best starts ever, but it was quite hard to write. I apologise though, I think from here on in, the chapters should be better. I have a plan for this story at the moment, it's written down and everything. However, I don't know how long that's going to last. I highly suspect that the plan will go to pot eventually, but I'll try to stick to it as much as possible.**_

_**Anyway, sorry for the ramble, I'll try and update this as soon as possible. **_

_**Goodbye for now!**_


	2. Chapter 2

It was early the next morning when Robert decided to venture out into the city and explore his new home more. Even at this hour there were many people already roaming the streets; children playing and people calling out to one another. It made him wonder if anyone ever slept in this city, but that fascinated him rather than bothered him. He was fascinated by the fact that people lived completely different lives down here and if not sleeping was part of their life then Robert was about to complain.

As he made his way down the long streets, he looked around for places that might be taking on board new people for work. He knew he had to get out and have a look. If he wanted to make his way in this world, then he couldn't just sit around on his arse, he had to get out there and look because it wasn't going to come to him on a plate.

Making his way in and out of buildings he wished he had spent less time being a pain in the arse at school and had spent more time in taking the information in as, it seemed, no-one wanted to take him in. Not that he wanted to work in places like this if he was honest. Sitting around all day not being able to get out didn't really appeal to him at all and also, all the people he had met all seemed to be snobby bastards and there was no way on God's Earth that he was going to work for someone like that. What Robert wanted was a job where he could get out and about and have fun while he was on the job. It was then that he considered whether or not joining the Police would be a good idea, but then he realised that there was no way there were going to take him if no-one else wanted to take him.

It was reaching the end of the day by now and Robert still hadn't found anything that he could wake up for on Monday morning. He was starting to think that, maybe, his big adventure was turning out to be a bad idea. For a few seconds he seriously considered getting on the next train back to Stoke and admitting to himself that he was just not cut out for the city life and that he was deemed to have to live in Stoke-On-Trent for the rest of his life.

However, he knew he couldn't give up just yet. London was a big place and he had only been able to explore a small part of it in his day out. There had to be something or him around here, he just had to keep looking and as long as he found something in the next four weeks he would be fine. He then decided that he would continue his search tomorrow morning, but, for now, he decided that a drink was in order. After all, despite having met a whole bunch of people on his hunt for a job, Robert still hadn't met anyone that he would consider to be a life-long friend yet.

As he walked through the large, heavy doors of the nearest pub to the hotel he was staying at, he could feel everyone's eyes on him. He noticed a few people had actually turned to look at the young lad who had just walked through the doors.

Swallowing subtly, Robert made his way up to the bar and sat down. The bartender looked at him wearily before asking what he wanted. Once Robert had ordered and his drink had been given to him, he noticed someone come up to him and sit down.

"Haven't seen you around here before, what's your name?" Robert looked up and saw a young man, maybe a bit older than he was, sitting next to him. He had short dark hair with dark brown eyes to match. The man smiled at Robert and Robert gave a small smile back.

"My name's Robert, you?" Robert replied.

"Hello Robert, my name is Thomas – or Tom if you like." Thomas said with a smile. "So you new around here?" He asked.

"Err... yeah, came down yesterday from Stoke-On-Trent."

"Thought you came from up north, your accent gave that away. I have never been up that far before." Thomas said. "How much does it differ from down here in London?"

"It's different, yeah. Well, where I come from it's different." Robert said.

"So what brings you here to London anyway, Robert? I wouldn't have thought many people would want to come down here with Jack the Ripper on the loose." Thomas asked. Robert noticed that he seemed to lower his voice as soon as he mentioned Jack the Ripper. It was as if it was a banned thing to say around here. It made him realise just how much people didn't want to talk about it.

"I wanted a new start. I'd been thinking about it for a while before finally deciding to come on down." He explained. "The whole 'Jack the Ripper' stuff didn't faze me at all, but trying to find a job is proving hard."

"I was going to ask, what do you do? But I guess nothing at the moment." Thomas smiled at Robert. "What do you want to do?" He asked.

"I don't know." Robert replied honestly. "What I do know is that I can't just sit back and do paperwork. I need to get out there and _do _something, you know what I mean?"

"I know what you mean." Thomas nodded. "Have you thought about the Police or something?"

"Yeah, but I doubt they'll take me. I don't exactly have the best education ever." Robert admitted regretfully. "Still, at least I've got one."

"That's true and any education is better than none."

"You don't happen to know anyone who might have something for me, do you?" Robert asked hopefully.

"Sorry, not really, I'm afraid."

"What do you do?"

"I work in the local bank, but I don't think that'll be for you. Especially since you said you want to get out."

"Yeah, a bank is not for me." Robert put his head down and looked at his now, nearly, empty glass.

"Look, I have to go, but I wish you good luck in trying to find a job." Thomas stood up and patted Robert on the back. "I hope to see you again sometime, Robert. If you want to find me, I live just down the road – number three."

"Thank you; hope to see you around, too." Robert smiled up at him as Thomas smiled a goodbye before walking out of the pub, turning left and walking down the street. Robert watched him go before turning back and downing the rest of his drink before standing up and walking out of the pub himself. He smiled to himself once he was in his own space. Finally, he had met someone who he could see himself getting on with. It was a bit of a disappointment how Thomas hadn't been able to help him much with his search for a job, but that didn't bother Robert that much. In fact, in didn't bother him at all.

As he walked down the street feeling the happiest he had been since arriving in London, Robert suddenly heard the sound of woman screaming. He stopped dead where he was and turned towards the sound. Everyone he could see had done the same and the looks on the people's faces was pure fear. Robert could feel his own heart beating faster than what was healthy. He tried to calm himself, but as soon as he heard what was shouted next, there wasn't anything in him that could stop him from feeling this scared.

"Jack the Ripper has killed again!" A woman shouted, her long dress trailing on the floor as he ran away from what Robert could only assume was the crime scene.

Robert said nothing and watched as the crowd began to shout, scream and run. A few men shouted something about wanting to murder him as soon as they set their eyes on Jack the Ripper; children ran around and clung to their mothers, fathers or each other and many woman hugged their husbands and children trying to protect them but also themselves.

As Robert watched, he realised he had no-one to save him or no-one to save. He felt lonely, scared and curious all at the same time. His curiosity got the better of him apparently as he felt himself start walking towards where he had seen the first woman to run from.

In the background he could hear a few people shout at him telling to get back and stay away, but Robert didn't listen or just didn't hear him. Instead he found that he was focused solely on the path ahead of him and wanted nothing to get in his way.

The second he saw the body on the floor was the second he was brought out of his trance and wanted nothing more than to turn away and forget what he had just set eyes on. However, he found that he was routed to the spot, unable to move his legs and run away, no matter how much his brain willed him to. Lying on the floor in front of him was the body of a young woman – a woman who could be no older than he was. Her body had been ripped open as if it had been an animal that had mauled her to death. Her dead eyes were wide open and her mouth hung open slightly, blood oozing from her pale, dead lips.

Robert felt a sickening feeling rise in the pit of his stomach. Suddenly he bolted to the corner and found himself hurling his breakfast across the ground beneath him. As he stood back up, his legs wobbled and he found that he had to lean on the wall for support until he managed to regain his balance.

He risked a look over at the mess of the body still lying on the ground a few feet away from him. By now a small crowd had started to gather round the body, but it wasn't long before the crowd dismissed, too horrified to stand and look at the body for a second later. Soon enough, Robert found that he was the only one left from the crowd. He didn't know what to do; his mind was shouting at him to run away, to get as far away from this area as possible, but the rest of his body seemed to have other ideas and didn't move.

Eventually, Robert found it in him to be able to move away from the scene. As he walked away, he shook his head trying to get rid of the image that just didn't want to leave his mind. He could barely believe what he had just seen and he wished more than anything that he had never gone over there and had stayed well away like people had begged him to. But, of course, he hadn't listened. He never listened, did he? And Robert could only wish that this had been a time that he had.

He couldn't help but risk a glance back as he walked down the, now, empty street. Still feeling a little sick, Robert paused and closed his eyes and willed the feeling to disappear. Just as he opened his eyes and straightened himself out, he could feel the presence of someone else standing behind. Whoever was behind him was standing closer than Robbie would have liked. He could feel the person's breath on the back of his neck making the hairs stand on neck.

Robert stiffened as if the stiller he stood, the less likely anything was going to come of the situation he was standing in. His breathing got heavier with the fear running through his system before he finally built up the courage to turn around and face whoever it was standing behind him.

Suddenly, as soon as Robert was able to face his opponent, something pushed him straight to the ground where he landed with a thud. In pure fear, Robert got his first proper glimpse at the person who was now hovering over him with a knee on his thigh, stopping him from being able to escape. The person was covered in black from head to toe and the only part of the body that Robert could see were the eyes – blue and shining through the blackness of his clothes. Robert looked away from the eyes and found himself staring at the person's hand. In his right hand there was a large knife with a blade like Robert had never seen before. It was sharp and was already covered in blood. Fear running through his body at high speed, Robert realised who was on top of him: Jack the Ripper.

He tried to escape, but the pressure that had been put on his leg was stopping him from being able to move. He tried to scream out but a black-covered hand pressed over his mouth and nose, hard, stopping him from screaming, but also stopping him from being able to breathe. Robert used his free leg to try and kick the Ripper away and get him to release his hold so he could escape, but nothing worked and the knife in his hands only got higher before Robert realised what was going to happen next.

In his mind he tried to call out for someone to come and help him, but it was no use. No-one was coming. The street was deserted and everyone had run off, terrified and the thought of being next name on the list of the dead, murdered by Jack the Ripper.

Never in his life had Robert felt so scared. He only wished he had listened to his mother and not come to London. She had been scared to death by the thought of her son going to London and getting killed by the killer that everyone knew about. The sad thing was, it seemed like her fear was about to become a reality as there was nothing that Robert could do.

Just before the knife was about to come plunging down into his skin, ripping him apart, Robert made eye contact with the Ripper and saw the look in his eyes change from rage to something that Robert couldn't quite make out. Suddenly, something happened that never in his life did he think would happen. Robert felt the pressure on his leg lesson and the knife being held was slowly lowered, but not into his skin like he had been expecting. A look of confusion suddenly crossed his features as Jack the Ripper eased himself off Robert, standing up and looking at him.

Robert looked at the Ripper frightened beyond words at what might happen next. Maybe this was a trick and Robert would fool for it, running away and Jack would pounce and kill him in a second. But nothing happened. Nothing at all. For a few moments, Robert felt like he was in a painting or a photograph – a moment captured in still for the rest of time.

In a second he was brought back to reality by the sound of a man's voice coming from the distance.

"There he is! We've got him!"

Suddenly, Jack the Ripper looked behind him and ran off as fast as he could down the street, taking his weapons with him. Robert stayed where he was, too scared and shocked by what had just happened to be able to move. He lay on the ground, staring at the space where the Ripper had just been.

"Howard, Jason, get after him!" The man shouted again. Robert suddenly found himself moving looking behind him and two other men running in the same direction that the Ripper had just taken. "Are you OK?" The man asked bending down in front of Robert and helping him to stand.

"I... I think so. W...What...What just happened?" Robert stammered.

"You nearly got murdered by Jack the Ripper that's what!" The man said.

"Oh," Robert replied. If he was honest, the whole thing was almost a blur by now.

"Are you all right?" The man asked again.

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so." Robert told him. "Thanks, for a moment there I thought no-one was coming."

"Don't worry about it." The man said modestly. "I'm Gary, what's your name?"

"Robert."

"Nice to meet you Robert."

"Nice to meet you, too – I think." Robert said. "Do you work for the Police or something?" Robert suddenly found himself asking after what he had just seen.

"Me? Oh no, I – well, we – just do this for fun really, though, we do get paid. No much, but it's something at least."

"We?"

"Yeah, me, Howard and Jason – might have seen them run past you after the Ripper. We're just a small group who are trying to catch Jack the Ripper." Gary explained.

"That's your job?"

"Kinda yeah. What do you do, if you don't mind my asking?" Gary asked.

"Not at all," Robert said. "I don't do anything at the moment. Just moved down from Stoke on a hunt for a new life. Though, so far, I haven't been successful in being able to find a job. Nothing seems to suit me, really. That and no-one will take me in."

"What is it that you want to do?" Gary asked.

"Anything that gets me out, I suppose. I'm not the kind of person who can sit back at a desk for long periods of time." Robert told him.

"Why don't you work with us? I know it doesn't pay as well as some of the jobs around, but it's better than nothing and the excitement and adrenaline that goes with it better than anything else around." Gary said. "And besides, we're looking for a new recruit. Three's good, but we need more people if we've got any chance of catching the Ripper." Gary added. "So what do you say?"

Robert thought for the moment. He was still shaken up by what had just happened, but he managed to think clearly about whether this was a good idea or not. After a few seconds of deliberating what he should do, Robert finally answered.

"Yes," he said simply. Gary smiled at him, a wide smile that told him he was happy with Robert's decision.

"Great. I'll warn you now, we do this day and night, so be prepared. Also, none of us can guarantee anyone's safety. This is a dangerous thing we're doing, so you have to be sharp." Gary warned.

"I understand." Robert smiled. "When can I start?"

"Tomorrow if you like, I'll get a cart round to yours in the morning to pick you up and bring you to the house. We live together in the house owned by our boss. He's never there though, but he's there in spirit. Wilfred his name is. Not sure when you'll get to meet him." Gary said. "Where do you live by the way?"

"I'm staying in the hotel up the road until I find my own place." Robert said.

"Well, I'll send that cart for you tomorrow then. Looks like you won't need to be hunting anymore."

"Thankfully, I was starting to wonder if I'd ever get a job."

Before Gary could say anything the two other men came jogging back.

"Lost him again." The ever-so-slightly taller man breathed. It was clear to see that both men were worn out from their chase.

"Oh well, we'll get him eventually." Gary said. "Jason, Howard, I want you to meet Robert, he'll be working with us from now on." Gary said. "Robert, this is Jason and Howard." Gary introduced, pointing to both men in turn.

"Nice to meet you." Robert said politely, shaking both men's hands firmly.

"And you," Jason replied with a smile.

"Finally, a new recruit. Been wondering when someone else would join the team." Howard said, smiling.

"Well, you don't have to wonder anymore." Robert grinned. "Anyway, I should probably be heading back now. Make sure I've got everything."

"OK, see you tomorrow then Robert. We'll send that cart around to the hotel at around seven. That OK with you?" Gary asked.

"That's fine. See you tomorrow." Robert waved before making his way back to the hotel.

"Robert, be careful, the Ripper's still out there." Jason called to him before he was out of sight.

"I will," Robert said turning back around to face them. He then turned a corner and smiled to himself. It wasn't every day you find yourself in the mercy of the greatest killer in London and then find yourself getting a job out of it. However, Robert wasn't afraid to admit that what happened today had scared him shitless and he wasn't coward enough to admit he was scared what could happen when he started working with the three young men he had just met. He just hoped that they caught Jack the Ripper without too much fuss. Robert couldn't bear it if people that he was starting to like got hurt – or even worse: killed. The sooner they caught this murderer the better. Surely, things couldn't get more complicated than trying to locate and capture him – that was going to be complicated enough.

If only Robert knew what really lie ahead...

* * *

_**Just to let you know, updates for this might be quite slow. June is a very busy month for me this year, mainly because I have my Year 10 mock exams to revise for this month and a bunch of other stuff like my DofE trip for example. I'll try and make time for writing, but I'm not sure how much I'll have. Anyway, just thought it would be best to tell you. **_

_**See you soon, I hope!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi again, so here's the third chapter. Sorry if this one's not the most exciting thing in the world, but at least I'm finally introducing Mark into the story. It's about time our little friend made an appearance! XD**

**As always, this is unbeta'd so I apologise for any mistakes. XD**

* * *

Early the next morning, Robert was up and ready for his carriage to take him to where he would be staying with the three men he had met only yesterday. Some may say that you should never agree to live with someone until you have gotten to know them better, but these three men had saved his life as well as offered him a job and a roof over his head.

With his suitcase packed and by the door ready for his departure, Robert looked out of the window and onto the street below him. He couldn't believe how quickly people had gone back to normal after the events that had occurred only yesterday. Robert was surprised at himself more than anything at how quickly he had recovered after nearly being killed. Being seconds away from what could be your death was enough to scare anyone shitless, but somehow, Robert acted like it had never happened at all. That wasn't to say, however, that he would ever forget what had happened because, frankly, there was no way in hell that he was ever going to be able to forget that – no matter how much he wished he could.

A minute or so later, Robert saw a horse and carriage pull up and park outside the entrance of the hotel. Knowing that this was the carriage Gary had promised him yesterday, Robert walked over to the door, grabbing his suitcase and walking out of the hotel to greet his driver. As he neared the carriage, the driver climbed out of his seat and opened the door to the carriage, revealing Gary sat inside looking at Robert with a warm, welcoming smile upon his face.

"Morning Robert," Gary said brightly.

Robert climbed into the carriage and sat next to him, smiling as he did. "Morning Gary," Robert replied.

"So, are you ready for this?" Gary asked wondering if Robert was ready to get himself involved in something this dangerous. After all, Gary hadn't asked his age, but he could tell that Robert was young and for a second he wondered if he was too young to be doing something like this.

"After what happened yesterday, I cannot wait to get out there and get Jack the Ripper." Robert said with confidence. Gary smiled. He liked the confidence Robert held within himself. It was something that he found not a lot of men had any more with the fear that they might be next on the list of the dead killed by Jack the Ripper.

"I can understand." Gary said with a smile of sympathy. "Anyway, shall we go? Howard and Jason are at their jobs on the market right now, but they should be back later on." Gary explained. "They're the ones that earn the money for us to still live where we are. They go off working and I stay behind and keep an ear out for any news on Jack the Ripper. That and sometimes I like to play on the piano we have in the house."

"You play piano?" Robert asked as the carriage began to move along the street, the sound of the horse's hooves on the ground filling the carriage behind.

"Yeah, been playing since I was a kid back in Cheshire." Gary said. "I remember hearing the sounds of the keys for the first time and knew that I had to be able to recreate those sounds."

"Wow, I've never learnt. I haven't had the time, y'see." Robert stated.

"Maybe if I find the time, I'll give you a few lessons." Gary said.

"All right, yeah, that'll be good. Cheers," Robert smiled.

The two of them found themselves in silence for a few seconds before Gary spoke once more.

"So Robert, I didn't get a chance to ask you yesterday, but how old are you?" Gary asked.

"Eighteen." Robert told him.

"Eighteen, really?"

"Yeah, what about you?"

"I'm twenty-one," Gary replied. "Howard's twenty-four and Jason's twenty-two."

"Makes me feel like a kid again." Robert laughed. "I was getting used to feeling like an adult for once."

"Don't worry; we won't treat you any different."

"Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, really." Robert said with a smile.

"You'll find out soon enough."

"Yeah, I guess I will."

...

By the time they got there, there were a fair number of people on the streets ready to start their days. The carriage stopped outside a small house in the corner of the street. Compared with many of the other houses that Robert had seen in his short time in London, this one seemed detached from the rest of them. Where it was positioned, it looked as though someone had just stuck it there because they had nowhere else to put it. It was also more run down than the others surrounding it. Robert wondered why they lived here and not in a more well-kept building, but then he remembered what Gary told him about only Howard and Jason working to earn the money and he realised that this was probably the only one they could afford the rent for. Though, to be honest, it wasn't too much different from what he lived in when he had been living back in Stoke.

"Here we are then," Gary said as the carriage slowed to halt in front of the old house.

Robert said nothing and the two of them stepped out of the carriage and, as Gary led Robert to the front door, Gary waved to the driver as he started to move along the road.

Gary opened the door to the house and moved back, allowing Robert to be the first one to enter. Robert looked at him for a second before stepping inside the house and looking around for the first time.

As he stood in the hallway, Gary came in behind him and shut the door. He watched as Robert started to walk around, his head constantly looking at nearly every detail he could find.

"Like it?" Gary asked as Robert stepped into what he assumed was the living space. There was a few chairs and a large cabinet with books filling every possible space on all the, one, two, three, four, five, six shelves.

"It looks so similar to the house I lived in back in Stoke." Robert said turning to face Gary.

"Well then, you'll settle right in." Gary smiled. "Tell you what; you go into the living room and I'll get you a drink. When Howard and Jason arrive back from work, I'll show you the stuff on Jack the Ripper we've collected since we started our hunt."

"OK, yeah," Robert grinned and made his way into the living room and sat down on one of the few seats set up to make it look more home-like.

As he did, Gary walked into what Robert guessed was the kitchen area. While he was out, Robert stood up and began to have a quick nose around the living room. There wasn't much in here to be honest. There were a couple of gas lamps on the walls which weren't yet lit with quills, paper, books and ink all in a pile on the coffee table in the middle of the room.

When Gary came back into the room, Robert turned to look at him before making his way back to the sofa as he was handed his drink. Once the two of them were both sat down on two of the chairs in the living room, they started to talk, getting to know each other more to pass the time as they waited for Jason and Howard to arrive home.

...

By the time Howard and Jason walked through the door to the house, Gary and Robert had almost run out of things to say to one another.

The two of them made their way into the living room with smiles on their faces.

"Hey, how was your shift on the stall?" Gary asked.

"Oh, same old, same old." Howard told him.

"Sell much?"

"Few potatoes and other vegetables. Nothing major." Jason said.

"See you made it here then." Howard said looking at Robert sitting on the chair next to Gary's.

"Yeah, arrived a little while ago." Robert said.

"Done much since arriving or has Gary talked you to death?" Gary gave Howard and Jason a look of mock horror and  
Robert couldn't help but breathe a laugh.

"Nah, it's been all right. I probably talked more than Gary did." Robert admitted.

"I'll second that." Gary spoke with a small smile on his lips. Robert gave him a look causing the other three to laugh.

"Looks like we're all going to get on famously." Jason said with a smile.

There was a natural, small pause in their conversation before Gary got up and went into one of the other rooms. When he returned he held a box in his arms – a small cardboard box that looked like it had seen better days. He carried it into the living room and set it down on the coffee table before taking off the lid and sitting back on his chair.

"What's in here?" Robert asked leaning in to get a closer look.

"That collection I was talking to you about earlier." Gary answered.

"Ah, right."

"Want a look?" Gary asked.

"You bet I do." There was a glee in Robert's voice which made the other three smile as the four of them all crowed round the table as Gary started to take things out the box.

Robert watched in awe as newspaper clippings were pulled out of the box along with hand-written notes. Gary placed on the table so they could be seen before closing the box and putting it on the floor by the wooden leg of the table.

"This is all the stuff we've collected since starting our hunt. It's mainly just newspaper articles on where the Ripper was seen and that, but, as you can see, Jason's written some notes on the locations and people killed in an attempt to see if there's some sort of pattern. So far, nothing seems to be connected in anyway." Gary explained.

"I see," Robert nodded. "So Jason's the boring one, then." Robert flashed a cheeky grin over in Jason's direction, who gave Robert a look of death.

"You'd better be careful, you. One day, these notes could have the answer written down on them." Jason said. Robert just continued to grin.

The four of them continued to look through the contents of the box until they had nothing more to look out. When they had finished, they all sat back in their seats in silence before Howard spoke, breaking the silence.

"How about the four of us go down to the pub?" He suggested.

"Don't see why not." Jason smiled.

"All right then. That all right with you, Robert?" Gary asked looking at the young lad across from him.

"Sure thing," Robert grinned.

...

Forty-five minutes later, the four of them were sat in the pub with their drinks, talking and laughing with one another. For Robert, it was like he had known these guys for years and not a matter of days. There was something about them that made him feel ease when talking to them. He felt he could tell them anything and they would take it in their stride. The best thing was, there seemed to be nothing false in any of their smiles or laughs and it also helped that the three of them were already good friends.

Whilst Howard had gone to pay for their second round of drinks, Robert found himself looking round the pub at the people. His eyes scanned over the mass of men in the pub, each in a group of his own.

He continued to look around until his eyes fixed on one man sitting on his own at the bar. Not that you could call him that. This lad couldn't have been that much older than he was and the way he held himself was completely different to anyone else in the pub. His hair was longer and unkempt; his clothes were slightly tatty and seemed to be a few sizes too big for him; but what got Robert more than anything was that this young lad wasn't smiling or having a good time. Everyone else in the pub was smiling, laughing, chatting with their friends on their tables, but the was sat on his own looking sorry for himself. He wondered why this lad was the way he was, surely he wasn't that bad of a person to talk to.

"Hey, who's that over there?" Robert asked as Howard came back with the second round of drinks, nodding over to the young lad, alone at the bar.

"Don't know really." Howard said looking over were Robert was looking as he set the drinks down and sat back in his seat. "He's always here at this time though. Never talks to anyone which is weird because he looks like a decent lad."

"You'd think because of the way he looks, he would have a lot of girls around him. I've seen him a couple of times in the street but he's always on his own and he always looks so unhappy. It's sad really, I mean he's only a kid, can't be that much older than you, Robert." Jason said looking at him.

"Maybe he's like me, moved away from home and trying to find his place in his city." Robert suggested.

"Maybe," Gary agreed. "Or maybe he's lost someone at the hands of Jack the Ripper."

"Poor kid if he has." Howard said.

"Tell you what, I'm going to try and talk to him." Robert said standing up. "Maybe he'll talk to someone closer to his age."

"He won't talk to you, Robert." Jason told him. "There's no point in trying."

"He's never met me before so he might. Have you ever tried to talk to him?" Robert asked and the other three shook their heads. "Thought as much,"

"Don't be too surprised if he doesn't then." Gary said as Robert started to walk over to the bar where the young lad sat staring at his, now empty, glass.

...

Robert walked up to the lad and sat down on the stool next to him. It was apparent that the young lad had either not noticed him at all or was choosing to not acknowledge his presence.

"Hello," Robert said leaning in slightly, trying to get the lad to notice him. "I'm Robert, what's your name? Only I saw you over here on your own and thought I'd come and say hello. You look as though you could do with someone to talk to."

"I'm fine," the young lad said in a thick Mancunian accent.

"Hey, you're from up north!" Robert said happily. "Good to hear a familiar accent again. Where're you from?"

"Oldham," the lad said quietly.

"That's a fair way to travel, surely?" The lad nodded, but never once looked up.

"So 'lad from Oldham' what's your name?" Robert asked again, hoping that the lad would answer him now that he had gotten him to answer a couple of other questions.

"Mark," the lad said. "My name's Mark."

"Nice to meet you, Mark." Robert smiled, but still Mark didn't look up. "If you don't mind my asking, why are you on your own?"

"Don't know anyone here." Mark said simply.

"Have you never tried to get to know people?" Robert asked out of curiosity.

"Didn't see the point, making friends is just too much effort. I think I must have had friends back up in Oldham, but then I move down here and things changed." Mark said, only adding to Robert's curiosity about him.

"Like what?"

"Personal stuff that I don't want to talk about." Mark said finally looking up at Robert.

Robert looked at Mark for a few seconds before realising that there was something about Mark that seemed familiar. It was his eyes, he didn't know why, but he swore he had seen them somewhere before.

"We haven't met before, have we?" Robert asked all of a sudden.

"No, I've never seen you in my life." Mark almost snapped a little too quickly.

"Hey, I was only asking. No need to take it out on me." Robert said moving back slightly in defence.

"Well, stop asking me questions then. This isn't an interrogation." Mark told him.

"How else am I supposed to get to know you?" Robert asked.

"Why do you want to get to know me? What do you want?" Mark asked. Robert suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in the situation he was in. Mark's tone was now slightly angry with a hint of panic as well and Robert couldn't help but wonder what he had done to provoke Mark in this way.

"I want to get to know you because you looked as though you could do with some friends. I'm sorry if I've offended you in anyway, I never meant to. I just thought you might want someone to talk to." Robert said trying to get Mark to calm down slightly. "I don't want anything else."

"I don't need to talk to anyone," Mark said. "I was fine on my own!" Mark's voice started to rise to a level which enticed other people in the pub to look over at the two of them.

"Sorry, I was just trying to be friendly." Robert said calmly, not wanting to cause a bigger scene.

"Well, take your friendship somewhere else. I don't need you. I don't need anyone." Mark stood up and ran out of the door, leaving Robert and the rest of the pub staring at the door which swung back and forth a few times before finally settling shut once more.

After a moment of silence, the pub went back to its usual mummer of chatter before Robert jumped off the stall and went back over to the table he had originally been sharing with the other three.

"Well, that went well." Howard said as Robert sat back on his chair.

"I don't see what his problem is. All I wanted to do was talk to him." Robert said picking up his half empty drink. "I asked him a few questions that people normally ask you when you're getting to know someone and he went all defensive and just assumed that I wanted something from him." Robert said. "Maybe that's why no-one talks to him."

"I suppose not everyone wants to make new friends." Jason said.

"Yes, but he has none. He's got no-one since he moved down from Oldham."

"Well, at least you found out where he's from." Gary said. "At least he told you something."

"Suppose, also managed to get his name. So at least he won't be known as 'that lad at the bar' now – well not for me anyway." Robert said.

"What is his name?" Jason asked.

"Mark he said."

"Maybe Mark just had some unfortunate meetings in the past and is afraid that something will happen like that again." Jason thought.

"Or maybe he's hiding something." Howard suggested.

"Maybe," Robert said. "I tell you what, though; there was something strangely familiar about him that's for sure."

"Don't worry about it now." Gary said.

"No, I will, if there's one thing I'm determined to do other than catch Jack the Ripper is find out what the hell that kid's problem is." Robert said.

"I don't know why you're bothering." Howard sighed. "No-one ever does."

"I'm bothering because maybe we can help him." Robert said.

"Bloody hell Robert, you've only just met the kid. How can you be sure he'll let you talk to him again?"

"I'll use my powers of persuasion." Robert grinned.

"Good God, it's like you've taken an instant liking to him. You don't even know him." Gary said. Robert said nothing and just took a sip from his drink.

Maybe he had taken an instant liking to Mark. Other than the only defensive thing he had put across and overreacting to Robert's questions, there was something strangely likeable about that kid Mark. Robert was sure that if he could just talk to him properly, then Mark might open up a little more and, maybe, might even consider him a friend.

On the other hand, there was also something about him that also meant Robert should be staying well away from him. But that was almost the reason why Robert was so keen to find him again. He had always liked a bit of danger.


End file.
